1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to handcuffs; and, more particularly, to disposable, flexible, compact, lightweight handcuffs having sufficient pull out strength to prevent escape of a detainee whose hands or legs are secured using a single flexible strap device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many patents address issues related to creating handcuffs for securing and retaining prisoners and detainees. Many of these devices are heavy and need keys and locks and the like and require two hand operation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,023 to Gregory discloses a restraining device. The restraining device has an elongated body portion and a pair of arms extending outwardly from the body portion. The first arm has a sharp end that engages with the locking means at the proximal end of the elongated body forming a closed loop for securing one hand of a detainee. The second arm has locking mean provided at the tip distal from the elongated body and engages with the distal sharp end of the elongated body forming a second closed loop securing the other hand of the detainee. The locking means for both the closed loops are individually adjustable and includes a rigid metallic or polymeric member with integrally formed spike that engage the polymeric elongated body. The locking mechanism cannot provide sufficient restraining force to secure a handcuffed detainee since each of the spike may break one at a time.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,138 to Charland discloses a restraining device. The restraining device has a flexible braid of a soft of a strong material, such as a flat braided nylon, utilized to engage a locking block that permits the braided material to pass freely in one direction, but which prevents movement of the material in an opposite direction. The locking block has two apertures with a pair of cantilevered jaw members that permit free movement in one direction but engage the braid when pulled in the opposite direction. In this manner the braided material, which is formed in an endless loop, may be placed about the extremities of a person whose movement is controlled or restrained, when the loop tightened. The flexible material will tightly encircle the extremities sufficient to control or restrain their movement, but will not cut or gouge the person being restrained unless such person attempts to remove the restraining device. Because of the lightweight and inexpensive nature of the restraining device a law enforcement officer can carry a number of these devices when on duty to facilitate arrests and control of multiple offenders. The restraining device is not a flexible handcuff but is a braided rope. It is hard to deploy owing to its tendency to twist and tangle when carried in a pocket. The device is not easily placed on a combative person.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,051 to Lee discloses a keeper plate for strap handcuffs. The keeper plate is provided for use with strap handcuffs and the plate in one embodiment for a single handcuff is generally rectangular, with flattened concave edges disposed on its longer sides and strap-receiving channels extending through its shorter sides. The flattened concave edges generally conform to the shape of the palm side of a human wrist and enable a strap handcuff to be tightened securely with minimized danger of cutting off circulation. The plate is elongated and has a channel for receiving one strap handcuff disposed spaced apart from a flattened concave edge at each end. This enables securing of limbs without bringing them closely together. Holes may be provided in the plates to enable tying to other straps or other objects. This device is difficult to install and requires two hands for handcuffing a person.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,419 to Karriker discloses keyless handcuffs. A pair of handcuffs formed of light weight plastic material, so that the handcuffs cannot be used by a prisoner as a striking weapon against a guard or police officer. A single flexible plastic cord is formed into two loop sections adapted to encircle the prisoner's wrists. Sections of the cord extend through a clamp device that can be manually operated to expand or contract the loop sections, as necessary to remove or install the handcuffs on the prisoner. This handcuff is a removable device and is not a disposable device. The tightening of the handcuff at the plastic clamp requires use of tools to adjust the lengths of straps encircling each of the wrists.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,158 to Burkholder discloses a restraining apparatus and method. The restraining method employs apparatus that has a body portion and two, laterally-spaced, downwardly extending flexible straps that can be looped around in opposite directions to be lockingly received by a toothed ratcheting mechanism in corresponding laterally-spaced openings of the body portion. An upwardly extending tab has an opening through which a rope can be strung to link together several restrained prisoners. Strap teeth and tab are located in limb non-contacting positions. The straps bend double about self-hinges with free ends fitting within non-ratcheted loops for pocket storage. When it is desired to withdraw the straps they may be pulled it in the opposite direction out of the opening, interaction of the ratchet teeth will prevent its withdrawal unless the ratchet member is forced upwardly against the downward bias, such as by means of a screwdriver or the like inserted between the teeth. As a result, the attachment is not capable of securely restraining a prisoner.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,159,728 to Bingold discloses a two-loop law enforcement strap restraint which is concealable, disposable and can be formed entirely of recyclable material. The two-loop strap restraint for law enforcement is lightweight, strong, inexpensive, disposable, and can be formed entirely of recyclable polymeric material, and is easy to apply and carry. This restraint has a pair of apertures in its central bridging portion for curling into a compact four-loop configuration for easily carrying several of them in an unobtrusive, concealed manner in a pocket. The restraint fits all size wrists, ankles for use in a wide variety of law enforcement situations. It has the general form of a single non-metal elongated strap of polymeric material having a pair of symmetrically positioned latching socket bosses of polymeric material located near the center of the strap with a resilient latching pawl formed of polymeric material positioned in each socket. A flexible ratchet portion of the restraint extends outwardly from each socket boss with a narrow tip pull extending outwardly from the ratchet portion to a rounded tip. In use, a tip pull is inserted through a socket opening. The resilient pawl allows the flexible ratchet portion to be drawn forwardly in an insertion direction through the socket for engaging snugly around a wrist, ankle or anchoring member, then the pawl prevents the inserted ratchet portion of the strap restraint from being moved backwardly from the socket in an extraction direction for securely holding a restrained limb (arm or leg). The socket bosses project solely toward the outside of the restraint for facilitating quickly, properly inserting tip pulls into socket mouths in the dark. The latch pawl is made from polymeric material that projects into central opening as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 and its ability to prevent pulling out of the restraint is limited by the strength polymeric latch pawl and thus does not secure a prisoner securely.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,193,254 to Geisinger discloses a versatile self-clinching disposable restraints and bundling straps. This self-clinching disposable restraint or bundling strap has a locking head with a primary bore passing through the thickness of the head into which the tip of the tape is inserted and pulled through for locking. Two rows of ratchet teeth are provided on the upper surface of the tape. A front surface of the ratchet teeth forms an acute angle with the perpendicular axis of the ratchet teeth. A pair of cantilever pawls have a tip portion to exactly fit and successively engage each of the ratchet teeth as the tape is pulled through the locking head. A finger hole in the tape near the tip enables the user to readily pull the tape through the locking head. The ratchet teeth 2d, 2e is shaped as shown in the fragment of FIG. 9, projecting 0.04 inch (1.016 mm.) above the inside surface of the tape, and directed inwardly, forming on one surface an angle of 27 degrees with the normal to the surface and on the opposite side being normal to the surface. The dimension in a longitudinal direction of the tape of each of the teeth of the series 2d, 2e is 0.02 inch (0.508 mm.) across the top, which forms a truncated triangle, and 0.04 inch (1.016 mm.) across the bottom, ending an abutment normal to the tape surface. The normal abutments of the upwardly projecting teeth are spaced apart 0.078 inch (1.98 mm.). Thus, the cantilever pawls are made of flexible nylon plastic and a small dimension as shown at 2d and 2e and do not provide sufficient separation restraining force for the handcuffs and a prisoner may easily pry the hands off from the handcuff restraint.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,404 to Stanchin, II and design patent D366,733 disclose a disposable handcuff. This disposable handcuff provides a two loop expandable strap restraint for law enforcement formed from a continuous single foldable strap that is light weight, strong, inexpensive, and disposable. The disposable handcuff can be formed of readily available and readily obtainable materials including high-density polyethylene, nylon, PVC, metal, a polymer composite containing graphite fibers. The single plastic strap has a locking head. The strap may be folded when not in use and expanded and tightened around the wearer to become a form fitting versatile disposable restraint. The self-clinching disposable plastic strap terminates in a locking head into which the tip of the strap is inserted and pulled through for locking in place. These components are used in combination with a separating slip ring and elastomer retaining means for packaging. The locking head is made from the same plastic material and has limited strength. As a result, the device exhibits a low value of separation restraining capability.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,882,599 to Harrington discloses handcuff apparatus. This handcuff apparatus includes a combination locking head and strap support, which includes a first longitudinal axis. A first handcuff strap and a second handcuff strap are connected to the combination locking head and strap support. Each of the respective first and second handcuff straps is connected to the combination locking head and strap support. Both of the handcuff straps extend outward from the combination locking head and strap support from the same side of the strap support. Each of the respective handcuff straps includes a ratchet-bearing side and a smooth side, which contacts the skin of a person to be restrained. Respective strap-supported unidirectional ratchet members are located on the respective ratchet-bearing sides. The locking head and strap support is provided with a movable locking clip or member normally supported in a first or non-engagement position within a portion of the locking head.
Non-Patent Literature. “Jersey Tactical” at http://www.jerseytactical.com/news/news.htm discloses a Jersey Cuff press release dated February 2009 and appears to refer to the design patent D366,733 since the appearance of the handcuff is similar to that disclosed in the design patent. The text claims that the handcuff uses a locking mechanism that has stainless steel and does not disclose the details of the locking mechanism. The strap of the Jersey cuff is made from high strength UV stabilized material and there is no disclosure of this strap material. The cuffs are marketed in groups of four with a cutting blade present within the package, which indicates that the cuff may be for one time use only and is cut using cutters. The Jersey cuffs may be easily disassembled and reattached in multiple configurations to fit any need during emergency situations. The cuffs also allow the operator to secure two Jersey Cuffs together to form leg restraints or prisoner transport belt. The links ‘Soldier Systems Review: The Jersey Cuff”, ‘Tech Product Network.com Features: The Jersey Cuff’, ‘Jersey Boot and Jersey Cuff products win top awards in the 2009 Cygnus Innovation Awards’ and ‘Jersey Cuff featured after the 2010 SHOT show from Las Vegas (Scroll towards bottom of page to view blog)’ do not add additional information on the restraining force offered by the Jersey Cuff.
There remains a need in the art for a compact, lightweight, low cost handcuff that can be easily carried and installed. Moreover, the handcuff must restrain the hands of the prisoner with a substantial hand separation force, preferably of the order of at least 250 pounds, and cannot be easily removed by jiggling, twisting or other attempts by the prisoner. The handcuff should not accidentally tighten once set in its desired location regardless of escaping efforts by the prisoner. Such unintended tightening will result in the constriction of the blood flow to the hands resulting in pain, bruising and body damage to the handcuffed prisoner.